Veruca Salt ISD
What to know: Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, the third largest school district in Texas, was recently caught spending big to host “a Willy Wonka-themed faculty and staff back-to-school event.” The extracurricular activity reportedly cost struggling taxpayers $30,000 for the keynote speaker, $5,150 for bottled water, and possibly more for other expenses.
The TPPF take: Texans need fewer ISDs that act like Veruca Salt—spoiled and entitled—and more that behave like Charlie Bucket—upstanding and considerate.
“School districts today waste money like it’s a sport. It’s no wonder that Texas taxpayers can’t keep up with their property tax bills,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Until the Texas Legislature imposes a reasonable restraint on school spending, ISDs will continue to demand more and throw tantrums when they don’t get it, just like Veruca Salt.”
For more on local spending, click here.
Illegal Voters
What to know: Weeks before the November presidential election, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says his administration has discovered and removed thousands of non-citizen registered voters from the voting rolls.
The TPPF take: Election integrity is of the utmost importance.
“The voter rolls are a list of active and inactive voters,” says TPPF’s Josh Findlay. “The voter rolls are supposed to be actively maintained by each municipal clerk. Election integrity efforts, like voter roll maintenance, need to be taken seriously.”
For more on election integrity, click here.
Root Causes
What to know: The Biden-Harris administration sought to address the massive surge in illegal immigration by addressing “root causes” in foreign countries. It didn’t work.
The TPPF take: The administration’s failure is harming Americans.
“The Biden/Harris administration’s policy shift upon entering office triggered a tsunami of illegal immigration,” says TPPF’s Rodney Scott. “The border security gains earned over three decades vanished and Biden surrendered control of our border to transnational criminal organizations – the cartels.”
For more on the border crisis, click here.